In 2000, Australian scientists tricked grapevines into conserving water by drying half their roots. 26 years later, PRD remains a technique that can maintain yields while cutting irrigation by 50%

Australian scientists developed Partial Rootzone Drying (PRD), an irrigation approach designed to reduce water use while maintaining commercial crop production. Developed at the University of Adelaide’s Waite campus by a team led by Dr Peter Dry and Dr Brian Loveys of CSIRO Plant Industry, the method alternates watering between different parts of a plant’s root system.Drying one portion while keeping another watered encourages the plant to conserve water through changes in stomatal activity, while...